Behind the Scenes
by ImaginativePseudonym
Summary: Most people remember Torvill and Dean from the 1984 Winter Olympics, but Karen Barber remembers something else.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: This is possibly the weirdest thing I've ever done. All my writing stays tucked up in the darkest corner of the universe lest someone see it and chuck me into a looney bin. I thought of this idea during Pride Month, and after my friend was babbling on about Karen/Chris fanfics versus Chris/Jayne fanfics. I thought of the last possible combination and how nobody ever used it, and joked that I'd write a fic. However, two people wanted to read it, so here is a oneshot of Karen and Jayne.**

Most people remember the 1984 Olympics as the year Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean took the judges, and the world, by storm with their rendition of Ravel's Bolero. Their artistic flair and beautiful skating earned them a perfect score and a gold medal, but Jayne won something extra: Karen Barber.

Karen and her partner Nicky had trained for quite a while. I mean, they were at the Olympics, what else were they meant to do? All the training in the world wouldn't have beaten the legendary Torvill and Dean, because they had something Karen and Nicky hadn't quite mastered. They had that spark of magic that took your breath away the second you stepped onto the ice. They'd be lying if they said they weren't jealous.

Karen's thoughts when her friends took to the ice were a jumbled mess. Torn between wanting to beat them and wanting them to beat everybody else. But the second they knelt down waiting for the start of Ravel's Bolero, Karen knew exactly the outcome she wanted.

Jayne and Chris waited for a little girl to collect bits and bobs thrown on the ice, then slid gracefully to their start spot. Karen was waiting in the sidelines, barely daring to breathe in case it put them off.

She looked adoringly at Chris, wondering how he could even move in those ridiculous trousers, let alone skate in them. Then her eyes moved to Jayne, and she forgot how to breathe. Jayne was hardly the most striking person she'd ever seen, I mean, not compared to Chris at least, but something about her in her soon-to-be-iconic purple dress and 80s makeup made Karen's heart skip a beat.

The music had started, and the two skaters in the middle of the rink were no longer Jayne and Chris from Nottingham. They switched in that second to the legendary Torvill and Dean of Great Britain. They were completely in sync and took no notice of their surroundings; they had a one-track mind. Things like floods, earthquakes and fire could have hit the whole of Sarajevo, and they wouldn't have noticed. Everybody was watching those two make history.

However, Karen probably wouldn't have noticed if Chris fell over or lobbed a skate pointy end first into the audience. All she could see was Jayne. Jayne was pretty much floating. Her and Chris were the perfect match. Ice dancing is one of the most intimate sports imaginable, and without the perfect partner, you're screwed. Karen would have given her right arm to be in Chris's place, holding Jayne.

The time flew by. Karen forgot that they were skating, she was too busy admiring them both. By the time they both slid across the rink in their final pose, the applause became deafening. Torvill and Dean got up, took their bows, received bouquets, and got their perfect score, currently never matched. You know, standard stuff.

Off the rink, they were back to being Jayne and Chris. Smiling, elated, and humble just like normal. They both immediately went to see Karen, who was standing surrounded by people but still alone. She greeted the legends with a hug, and stepped back for a moment.

"Well, what did you think?" Jayne asked Karen. Chris was chatting to someone else, so they had a moment of peace.

"Uh, all that skating made your bum look incredible," Karen sort of mumbled, half hoping Jayne didn't hear it. She did, and rather than being a little bit weirded out like most people, she scooped Karen into a tight hug, and whispered "I love you so much, you oddball."


	2. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: This fic was originally a troll, and it got a good reaction so here's more. I don't own characters yadda yadda yadda this didn't really happen blah blah blah and in case Karen, Jayne, or Chris have somehow found out about these fics I swear to god I'm not crazy and please don't give me a restraining order. Although if Karen and Jayne see this and realise their hidden love that'd be pretty cool too. :P

After their triumphant win at the Olympics, Jayne and Chris decided to go out for a celebratory meal. Karen and Nicky tagged along as well.

"It'll be like a double date!" Jayne said.

They found a little restaurant in a little street about 20 minutes from their hotel. There were a lot of tourists around, but their restaurant was surprisingly quiet.

The waitress took their orders, and left them all to chat for a while until their food arrived.

"So," Nicky began, "you two did pretty well with your skating." Everybody shared a giggle.

"Yeah, I was so focused on how well you skated that I barely caught the actual story behind it." Karen said.

"Well, we saw it as sort of a romantic song, so it needed a romantic dance." Chris said.

Jayne nodded and continued Chris's train of thought. "Yeah, it was a kind of Romeo and Juliet type of thing." She looked right into Karen's eyes when she uttered the last two words: "forbidden love." Karen had to fight off a blush. She quickly took a drink of water just in case somebody noticed.

Nicky laughed and said "everybody calls Romeo and Juliet the ultimate love story, but they both died in the end."

"Yeah well that was the last bit, where we both fell onto the ice and slipped, holding each others hands." Chris rebutted, hoping he didn't sound quite as condescending as he meant to. Sometimes it was hard to remember that he was meant to be Nicky's friend.

"It is pretty romantic, you know." Karen said, suddenly becoming very interested in the pattern on the tablecloth.

The boys started a discussion on sports, the girls on romantic books.

"So what's your ideal first date then, Kaz?" Jayne asked.

"Oh I don't know. Taking a nice picnic, walking to a remote place at dusk, then stargazing for a while and just getting to know each other for a while. Nothing too fussy." She alternated between looking Jayne in the eyes and fiddling with the tablecloth.

"Mine would be nearly the same actually, just with a restaurant instead of a picnic. I like at least a little fuss," Jayne grinned. Karen gave a warm smile back.

After a couple of minutes, both conversations reached a lull and Jayne looked Karen in the eye and gave the slightest nod in the direction of the bathroom. Subtlety was their forte, and the boys didn't notice anything unless a foghorn accompanied it. They both got up and announced their departure to the bathroom. Nicky made the most reused observation ever to Chris. "Every time. Women always go to the bathroom in pairs. What are they expecting?" Chris shook his head slightly, but played along.

Jayne and Karen found their way into the bathroom. Karen touched up her makeup while Jayne went to the toilet. She came out and washed her hands, then leaned against the counter and looked at Karen while she fixed her hair.

"Were you being serious earlier? When I got off the ice?"

Karen blushed furiously and after a short pause, gave a tiny nod. Jayne couldn't help but grin.

"I bet you were hoping I had forgot. It's okay though, yours is pretty good too." It was Jayne's turn to be awkward. Karen turned to look at her after that last part. They moved slightly closer to each other, their hands almost touching now. Their eyes locked, and just as Karen was about to take the last step, the door creaked and someone else came in.

They snapped out of it, and went to finish their meal, sneaking glances at each other. They walked back to the hotel boy-girl boy-girl. Karen couldn't stop thinking about how close her room was to Jayne's.


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: As I said before I'm not actually crazy I'm just really committed to the jokes I make. Also Karen and Jayne please get together because it would be the greatest moment of all time. I'm serious.**

When they all got in, it was about midnight. Everybody went to separate rooms. The original plan was to get time to themselves, but this was exactly what Karen and Jayne didn't want.

Chris had noticed Jayne acting slightly more uptight than usual. She usually acted like that when she had something she wanted to say but couldn't. He shrugged it off and changed into his comfy boxers ready for bed. She'd tell him when she was ready. Nicky was, as usual, barely observant. He noticed Karen being awkward, sure, but didn't let it bother him.

Karen and Jayne's routines were nearly identical. Both took their makeup off, brushed their hair to get any product out, then stared in the mirror for a while. Karen got out her favourite jammies; light green shorts and a tank top. It may have been winter, but the hotel was still boiling. She scraped her hair back and slid into bed, replaying what happened in the bathroom. What if she had taken that last step just a few moments earlier? What if she had said she wasn't serious about complimenting Jayne's arse? What if-

There was a light tap on the door. Karen stood up, straightened her shorts, and looked through the peephole to see Jayne. Karen hadn't opened a door faster in her life.

"Hope you weren't asleep," Jayne half whispered, aware of the ungodly hour at which she was calling.  
"No, no, it's fine. You okay?" Karen replied, motioning for Jayne to come in. She did, and went to sit on the bed. Karen couldn't help but notice Jayne's nighty. It was purple - what else - and slightly too tight at the hip and chest curves. Once again, Karen couldn't stop herself from blurting out the same thing.  
"Your butt looks great again," she whispered. Jayne laughed.  
"Not too bad yourself. Those shorts are working well." They both giggled a little too loudly for that time of night.

"I couldn't sleep," said Jayne.  
"We've been here for half an hour, love." Jayne could barely contain how much she loved Karen's adorable manc accent.  
"Okay, I was too awake." Jayne replied, smiling the half smile she did when she was joking.

Jayne stood up and took a walk around the room, surveying it to see how similar it was to hers. She deliberately walked near Karen and brushed against her, to see how she'd react. Much to her delight, Karen got goose bumps and drew a quick breath. Jayne smirked.

"Crystal clean, as always." Jayne remarked. Karen always was a bit of a neat freak.  
"So why couldn't you sleep?" Karen asked. She still seemed oblivious, bless her.  
"Oh you know, stuff." Jayne said. She turned to face Karen after looking at the windowsill as a distraction. Still, Karen was clueless. Looking her in the eyes she said, "actually, you were keeping me awake." Jayne looked at Karen with a look that said "please get it, please don't make me say it out loud."

Unfortunately for Jayne, while Karen was intelligent in most matters, she was clueless when it came to things like this. She suddenly became very interested in the pattern on the wood table.  
"I was thinking about what you said beside the ice, how you've been acting for the past couple of weeks, and what happened in the bathroom." Karen looked up.  
"Wait, do you mean...?"  
"If you..."  
"well of course I..."

Karen sat on the bed looking slightly more nervous than usual. Jayne sat next to her, facing her, accidentally brushing against her. There was an awkward pause, then Jayne moved her hand upwards, tracing Karen's arm, before cupping her face. She leaned in closer, and their lips touched. Karen felt a spark flying up her spine and kissed Jayne back.

They resurfaced a few seconds later, both shocked at what they had done, and both a little lightheaded. When both of their eyes started wandering, Karen moved slightly and Jayne removed her hand from Karen's arm.  
"I'd best, er..." Jayne mumbled.  
"Yeah, me too, it's been a long day." Karen said, feigning a yawn. Jayne got up and made for the door. Karen opened it, and watched Jayne go to her door. Karen closed the door behind her, straightened her shorts again, and went to bed. She couldn't wait to wake up and see Jayne in the morning.


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: As always, I'm not crazy, just daft and committed to jokes. Karen and Jayne please get together, I totally figured out your secret and you should go public now because it would be the most adorable couple in the history of all things.**

Karen woke up excited. They had no more performances, and all four of them were planning to go sightseeing. There was a museum about half an hour away and a few nice walks, so they had plenty to do.

When she got out of the shower, Karen wrapped a fluffy towel around her and went to her clothes. She picked out her favourite black dress and a pair of black flats. It was the perfect mix between formal and casual, which meant that it was worn a lot.

Everybody met in the lobby. Chris was wearing another one of his button-down shirts he was so fond of with a pair of smart jeans. Karen couldn't help but stare. She may be after Jayne, but she could appreciate a fine man when he was dangled in her face. Nicky had new jeans and a scruffy tshirt, easily the sloppiest of the four.

Jayne greeted Karen first. She was wearing a dress as well, short and purple with a White belt, and Karen thought it made her look stunning. Then again, she could wear bin bags and pull it off. They hugged and joined the boys.  
"So, breakfast?" Karen said.

Each of them had toast and tea at the restaurant adjoining the hotel, and headed out. Chris had bought a map from a tourist shop, and they worked their way to a museum. It was about 12 o'clock by this time, so the streets were filling up right on schedule.  
"If we separate, meet at the entrance at half four," Chris announced. Everybody nodded, and split. Chris went off to a sports exhibit, Nicky to a technology section, and Jayne and Karen wandered into a new-looking astronomy exhibition.

Karen was looking around at the planet models, but mostly looking at the ceiling, which had been decorated to look like the night sky, with each constellation labeled. Jayne feigned interest in the models, and kept looking at Karen instead. It was a waste of the entrance fee, but try telling that to her.

"You know, you're the brightest star here." Jayne had sat beside Karen, who was on a bench and looking at the stars. Karen smiled, and leaned on Jayne, resting her head on Jayne's shoulder. Jayne's dress sleeve felt soft on her cheek.  
"If there were fewer people here, this would almost be like that ideal date I told you about." Karen joked. As soon as those words left her mouth, a switch flipped in Jayne's head, who started to plan a date.  
"Well, maybe this can be a compromise. Remember, my ideal date was more fussy than yours," Jayne laughed. She put her arm around Karen's waist, which gained a couple of funny looks from some museum patrons. Well, it was the eighties.

They both noticed the stares, so they stood up and paced around the dimly lit exhibition instead. Karen gestured towards a small corridor, and they started down it, into a music exhibition. The area was deserted enough that they put their arms around each other's waist and chatted away about nothing in particular. The music exhibition turned out to be very interesting, containing various instruments and albums. They were playing songs in the current charts and had lit the place to look like a disco. Karen and Jayne were looking at the wall made of album artwork, when 'Radio Gaga' started playing. They moved into the middle of the room and started to dance the opposite dance to what was called for. The song started with the slower melody, so they bounced around and giggled like schoolgirls until the chorus. They stepped in close, still laughing, put their arms around each other's waist and started slow dancing. They gently swayed, spinning slowly around to the voice of Freddy Mercury.

_"__radio, what's new? Radio_

_someone still loves you_

_We watch the shows, we watch the stars…"_

Jayne tilted her head so that Karen's hair was tickling her nose. Her face turned, and Karen felt her plant a light kiss on her cheek. The arms around Jayne's waist were tightened, and she sighed, completely contented.

_"__let's hope you never leave, old friend,_

_like all good things, on you we depend…"_

Karen leaned out a little, and let her eyes trace over every feature on Jayne's face, lingering most at her smile. Her eyes gradually closed as she moved her face towards Jayne's, who tilted her head so their noses didn't bump, and were just about to kiss, when Chris and Nicky walked in.

Chris and Nicky had met on the stairs and were in a heated discussion about football. They turned in to the room Karen and Jayne were in, and stopped dead. Chris' eyes widened, Nicky's brow furrowed, Karen and Jayne looked like deer caught in headlights.

"How could you do this to me, Karen!" Nicky looked betrayed, as though Karen had done this just to spite him. Tears formed in Karen's eyes, as she tried to explain herself.

"I… I didn't-" she stammered. Jayne pulled her in closer, more concerned about Karen than being found by the boys.

"She didn't do anything to you," Jayne said, her voice wobbling a bit more than she'd have liked. "Let her be." She looked over at Chris, who had stood in the corner with the same dumbfounded expression on his face. "Well?"

"Is this what you want?" he whispered. Jayne and Karen gave a small nod. "Then I support you both." He walked towards the couple, gave them a hug, and offered Karen a tissue.

Nicky looked as though he was going to be sick. His mind was going a mile a minute, trying to work out if two people being happy together had wronged him. Muh to everyones surprise, Karen piped up.

"If you think I did something to you by loving Jayne, you're wrong." She was staring at the floor, unable to look him in the eyes. "You're not much more than a skating partner to me." She looked up at his face, which had never looked so red. "I never batted an eyelid when you flirted and bedded every girl with a pulse, so I'd thank you to do the same for me." She had begun to shout, which surprised her.

Nicky stormed out of the room, obviously not letting logic cloud his irrational judgement, and Karen collapsed onto Jayne, tears streaming down their faces. Chris put his hand on her back to comfort her. "come on, I'll buy lunch."


End file.
